The sex products industry has arguably up until now been dominated by a sensationalist, sometimes sleazy image. Pleasure products have not seemed appealing to a lot of women but instead rather intimidating, brash and hard-faced.

These are the very impressions that Julie Peasgood identified after several years as an Agony Aunt for magazines like Now, Yours and the Sunday Mirror; as well as from giving advice online for Lovehoney.co.uk, and while working on the Alan Titchmarsh show. With this in mind Julie and her husband Patrick Pearson, came up with a brand with a distinctly female-friendly image. The packaging is in white and duck-egg blue with a vogueishly retro feel. The products range from scented massage candles and naturally-based lubricants to intimate massagers and sensual oils. After years in development, the names of the products are deliberately light-hearted, for instance Massage in a Bottle, Burning Desire, Undercover and Release (I’ll leave you to work out what these products are for). They have paid particular attention to the wording for each product to ensure the information and instructions come across in a clear and approachable manner, in line with the whole ethos of the brand.

Launched only a couple of weeks ago Swoon has a dedicated website (click on Swoon to check it out) as well as appearing nationwide at a high street healthcare retailers and via Amazon.co.uk; providing sex products with a much needed female-friendly makeover. Not only is this good news for women who may be attracted by the packaging and / or intrigued to explore their own intimate pleasure time, but it’s likely to benefit their partners as a consequence too.